


A List Of Ridiculous Things Aaron Has Done To Make Theodosia Smile

by Rainah (RainahFiclets)



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 02:36:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8731471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainahFiclets/pseuds/Rainah
Summary: A (short) list of ridiculous things Aaron has done for Theodosia, over the years of their relationship.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlexanderYamilton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexanderYamilton/gifts).



**1\. Juggle, or otherwise make a fool of himself**

"Come on Burr!" Laurens calls from where he stands on a tightrope. "It's easy! Just give it a try!"

"Why are you even bothering?" Lafayette snorts. They're dressed, improbably, as a bearded lady and holding a club that's been set on fire.

"He's not going to do it." Hercules is catching the clubs Laf throws, one after another, and juggling them with ease. "Probably too scared he's going to drop one on his head."

Aaron curses the universe again. The universe, everyone in it, his life, and these four in particular. Who exactly thought it was a good idea for the Columbia Parkour Team to set up a circus display in the commons? 

Alex. It was probably Alex's idea.

"Thank you, gentleman, but I have to get to class."

"You don't have class till four," Alex protests, holding out the juggling balls again. "Please?"

Aaron makes a show of checking his watch. "It's fifteen till."

"Plenty of time!" Laurens crows, dropping down on the tightrope to hang from his knees. That man has more energy than Aaron has ever seen.

"I want to be early." It's important to be early. It makes a good impression It will make the career connections he needs to excel once he leaves school.

Besides, Theodosia will be there.

He tries to shut that thought away. Having a crush on your TA... it's natural. Bound to happen at some point. There are so many attractive people wandering the halls of Columbia, people with wits to rival his. And he just happens to go to class with the smartest, loveliest, most terrifyingly competent one. But a romance is not in his plans, to say nothing of the fact that she's got a diamond ring on her left hand.

But there's nothing wrong with being early, he reasons. That is certainly part of his long-term plans. He's allowed to kill two birds with one stone: coming early to class and asking Theodosia intelligent questions has the benefit of making him look smart _and_ letting him talk to her. In class. In a structured, supervised environment where he could do nothing about the rich depths of her eyes or the taut cupid's bow of her lip.

God, he's so screwed.

"People!" Lafayette calls out, startling Aaron out of his reverie and sparking the rest of the men into action. "On three, one, two-" Alexander shoves the juggling balls into Burr's hands and shuffled over to a vaulting horse to demonstrate jumps. John hops back up onto the tightrope, showing off his balance as he walks back and forth. Herc and Laf start tossing the flaming clubs between them, adding more and more daring throws. 

The people that have just rounded the corner are thrilled with the display. They murmur, exclaiming as John executes a slow twirl on the rope. Laf invites them to try things out for themselves.

"Aaron?" A voice asks.

He whirls around, still uselessly clutching the balls in his hands. It's her.

"I didn't know you were on the parkour team," Theodosia smiles at him.

"I-" He's caught red handed, holding their props. "Not really. I went to high school with them."

"And you're helping them out?" She reaches out to touch a ball in his hand, her glossy red fingernails tapping against it. The middle nail has an anarchy symbol drawn on it in careful hand. "Go on, show us a trick."

"I-" He says again. The correct thing to do would be to back down. To say 'Sorry, I'm not actually part of this club, let's go back to the classroom where I know what I'm doing.'

Instead, he takes a deep breath, sends up a prayer for guidance, and starts tossing balls. He's not awful at it, they start going in a roughly circular shape - until he has one in his hand and another coming towards in and he drops it. And the second on lands on his head. 

Theodosia laughs, bright and sharp. It’s the most glorious sound he’s ever heard. He’ll drop balls on his head all day long to draw more of it out of her. "Need a little more practice, Aaron?"

He dips his head. "Always."

"Young man!" She shouts at Lafayette, who pretends not to hear her. It's their favourite way of dealing with being misgendered.

"Their name is Lafayette." Aaron says quickly, eager to head off any potential confrontation. 

"Oh, drat, sorry." She ducks her head for a moment, before winding up to try again. "Lafeyette! Toss me a club!"

This time Laf turns. "They are on fire,"

"I know." 

He tosses her one, a gentle throw, and she catches it by the handle. "I've always liked fire," She says to Aaron, who's fairly sure he's brain's stopped working a while ago.

In front of his eyes she tosses the club up, catching it, and tossing it again. "It's all in the timing."

"Have you considered joining our club?" Lafayette asks frankly.

"No," She tosses it back to them. "I just like fire, I'm afraid, not jumping off buildings. I taught myself off a youtube video. And I believe," She pulled out a slim phone, "Aaron and I are late for class."

Aaron hands the balls back to Alex, scampering after her like a puppy. He's got a whole list of questions about the readings to ask in tutorial, after all. Questions designed to make him look smart and capable, to repair whatever damage he's done here.

He tries not to think about how it sounded when she said _Aaron and I._

 

**2\. Dance**

No more juggling. That’s what Aaron tells himself. It made her smile, sure… but making Theodosia smile is not what he’s at Columbia to do. He’s here to make connections.

That’s how he finds himself at the Columbia Global Leadership Awards Gala, sipping a sadly nonalcoholic punch and watching couples glide across the dance floor. He’s already complimented Mrs Callahan on her dress, and had a conversation with Dean Valentini about his plans for after college. It’s a good night so far.

“Aaron! I didn’t know you’d be here.”

He turns, and there she is. Wearing a strappy black dress and a studded leather jacket. Winged eyeliner sharp enough to kill a man - almost as sharp as her smile.

“Ms Prevost!” He fumbles slightly, only his reflexes preventing a punch accident. 

“Aaron.” She touches his shoulder warmly. “Are you enjoying the gala?”

“I am. It’s wonderful to meet people.”

She laughs. “I’m sure it is. Have you spoken to the chair of the department yet? It’s not recommendation season yet, but he’s a good one to know.”

“Not yet,” he admits. “I didn’t even know he was here.”

“Let me introduce you.” She slips her arm through his, pulling in along. The movement pulls her jacket askew, and underneath Aaron can see the red A that’s been embroidered onto her dress. It makes him think, suddenly, of what she’d said during their tutorial last week.

_They were all seated in the small room, talking about the prosecution of sexual assault cases. “It’s ridiculous, just ridiculous. That because of some ridiculous puritan values, someone’s case gets thrown out for being intoxicated, or flirty, or out late.”_

_Aaron raises his hand. “But what can we do about it?”_

_“Speak out,” She said simply. “Go to protests.”_

_“But that’s not very reasonable for most students-”_

_“Then write a letter to your congressperson.” Theodosia cuts him off. “Speak up when your buddy tells a rape joke. Tell someone. Or we might as well go back to The Scarlet Letter and start marking off who’s a bad girl.”_

It’s a gutsy thing to wear to a party. Shocking, even. The leather jacket was one thing - a touch of character, a nod to her eccentricities. But with the anti rape culture protests on campus right now, a scarlet A is a bold declaration. 

“I like your dress,” He says in an undertone.

“Do you?” She taps her fingers against his arm as they walk around the ballroom. “I figured it was appropriate.” And then her smile flicks on, bright and sharp. “John! I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Aaron Burr, one of the students in my tutorial. Aaron, this is Gillian Lester, she’s the director of the Law Department.”

“Nice to meet you,” Aaron says, reaching a hand out politely. 

“Likewise,” Lester says, shaking it firmly. “Ms Prevost, must you bring your protests into the gala?”

“Life is a protest, Mrs Lester.” Theodosia gives her a smile. “Besides, I’m missing the protest downtown.”

“Naturally,” Lester says dryly. “The law department is made more colourful by your presence, that’s for sure. How’s your fiance?”

“Jacques?” Her nose wrinkles. “He’s out of town on an exchange. He’s in England for the next four months. Bastard.”

“I take it the long distance isn’t going well then?”

“It’s fine.” She waves a hand. “He’s just a bastard for leaving me like that. Have you tried the punch yet? Aaron seems to like it.”

Aaron is, indeed, holding the punch in a death grip. To be honest it’s kind of disappointing, but he can’t say that now. “Can I get you ladies some?”

“Maybe later.”

“Then… if your fiance isn’t here…” he fumbles, stops. Starts again. “Ms Prevost, it would be a tragedy if your fiance’s absence meant you were unable to dance at a gala.”

She meets his eyes. “It would indeed. May I remove my jacket?”

It’s a kindness. An offer to keep the worst of her political statement under wraps.

The only problem is, Aaron likes her statement. It’s one he’d agree with, if he could only find the voice to. “Let me take it for you.”

He tugs the leather jacket from her shoulders, his hands brushing her now-bare shoulders. Then he removes his own, leaving both draped over a chair. He holds out his hand “Shall we?”

She grabs it, nearly pulling him off his feet and she moves towards the dance floor. “Come on!”

They square off, dancing to the beat of the music. It’s something fast and invigorating, some remixed pop hit, and Aaron is able to hold her hand while he twirls her. Theodosia spins out, then in, ending up a few inches from his nose.

He could kiss her from here. He will not kiss her from here. Instead he smoothly spins her back out.

She laughs. “I’m dizzy.”

“Curse of being the follower.”

“Which is not an inherently gendered thing.” He doesn’t see what she does, something with her feet and with her arms. But there’s a shift, and suddenly he’s in her arms instead of the other way around. “Step… step… glide…”

“Why are we waltzing?” He asks her. _Call Me Maybe_ is still playing on the speakers.

“Because it’s the only dance I can lead for, hush.” Her brow is furrowed in concentration. “Step… glide… one two three _one_ two three…”

The song ends on a flourish and so does Theodosia, somehow twisting him into a dip. They’re frozen like that for a moment: Aaron, back bent into a swoon, all the blood rushing to his head. Theodosia, standing over him, frowning from the strain of holding him upright. Then she pulls him to his feet. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” If he was a bolder man, he would take her hand and kiss it. He’s not though, so he settles for smiling awkwardly.

“Really.” She tosses a braid over one shoulder. “That’s the most fun I’ve had in… a while.”

Aaron throws caution into the wind. ”Maybe you need more fun in your life then.”

He’s rewarded with a smile, one far more real than the sharp one she had shown Lester. “Maybe I do.”

 

**3\. Eat Indian food**

Theodosia seems to make it her mission to bring fun into his life. Next week at tutorial, as he’s taking his usual place at the front of the room, she slams a book down onto the desk. “I thought you might like it,” she says smoothly. He looks at the title: _The Second Sex_ by Simone de Beauvoir.

It’s a meaty book, a big book, full of philosophy and feminism. He devours it. Spends all night flipping pages, desperate to finish, and then lays on his bed and just _thinks_ about it.

The next day he sends her an email.

_Ms Prevost -  
I have finished the book you were kind enough to lend me. It was wonderful, and I got so much out of it. I would love the chance to discuss it with you sometime._

_Thank you, again, for lending it to me,_

_Aaron Burr  
(3401A Tutorial B)_

 

He sends it off and thinks nothing of it. Nothing, at least, until he checks his email and sees a reply from her in between Alexander’s emails his twitter notifications (Also Alexander, for the record). 

_Aaron -  
Do you like Indian food?_

_Theo_

 

He swallows, then hits reply.

_Theo -  
I like any kind of food, provided it’s accompanied by good conversation._

_Yours,  
Aaron_

_Aaron -  
8pm Utsav on 46nd street_

_Theo_

 

Utsav turns out to be a classy Indian place in the theater district. Aaron feels immediately overdressed in his tie, but he reasons that he can’t look that out of place. There are people around just as dressed up as him. Though they’re probably going to a Broadway show and not meeting a friend to talk about books. He gets a table for two and, as an afterthought, orders a nice bottle of wine.

It’s only a few minutes until she arrives, swooping in with an “Ah, Aaron!” and a squeeze of his shoulder. “You found the place ok?” 

“I did.” He nudges the wine towards her. “How was your day?”

“Just dreadful, I hate grading first year papers. None of them know the difference between APA and MLA and they can’t write a thesis. It’s painful.”

“I can only imagine.” They chat for a while, placing their orders. Aaron isn’t about to admit he’s never had Indian food before, so he orders anything she does.

It looks good though, when they deliver it. It comes in a bowl, a brownish colour, with little bits of what looks like red peppers mixed in. They toast over the food.

“To our own little book club,” He says, and she gives him a wink before launching into it.

“Now, the second sex is really about-”

Aaron starts to eat as he listens to her talk. He’s not really paying attention to the food - he’s got Theodosia Prevost in front of him, how could he pay attention to the food? - but a minute in and it starts to dawn on him that this food is a little hot.

No, not a little hot. _Very_ hot. A sweat breaks out across his brow as he chews and swallows automatically. 

“Everything alright?” Theodosia frowns. “It is a little spicy, I should have warned you-”

“It’s fine!” Aaron protests. “I know Indian food-” And to prove his point he takes a big forkful and shoves it in his mouth.

Oh god, his mouth is on fire. His breathing’s getting more laboured. _Swallow it, Aaron, just swallow it-_ but he can’t. It hurts too much. He’s going to die in this restaurant for the sake of impressing his crush.

“Can we get some milk over here?” Theodosia calls to their sever. “I think my friend bit off more than he can chew.”

 _I’m fine_ , Aaron tries to say, but it feels like there’s steam rushing in his ears. He’s not fine. He grabs one of the napkins and spits what’s left of the bite into it, then grabs blindly for the milk and starts chugging it.

“First time in an Indian restaurant?” the sever asks kindly.

Aaron tries to shake his head, but he doesn’t want to let go of the milk. 

“I think it might be. Aaron, dear, why didn’t you just ask me about what was good? Especially if you don’t do well with spicy food?”

“Take your girlfriend to a nice Thai place next time,” the server advises.

Aaron lifts his head to tell her, no, Theodosia’s not his girlfriend. But as soon as his head is up she hands him a glass of water and he starts gulping that down. 

The server leaves before he can finish it, and Theodosia doesn’t correct the mistake.

 

**4\. Keep secrets**

It’s hard. It’s so hard. He loves her, and by now he knows she loves him too, and shouldn’t that be _enough?_

He sees her around campus all the time. She’s finishing her masters, he’s wrapping up his third year. But she’s still got that bloody rock on her finger, a mark from a fiance far away. He’s stared at it enough times that he’s starting to hate diamonds. 

The problem is, everyone seems to know she’s engaged. Even if she doesn’t wear the ring (And she doesn’t, sometimes. Every time he sees her finger bare it sends a jolt of a adrenaline through him).

"Goodmorning Aaron," she says as she passes him in the hall.

"Goodmorning Ms. Prevost," Aaron says. "Late on breakfast?" She's holding a bagel in one hand.

"And going to be late on lunch," she sighs. "Class from 11:30-2:30 then office hours 2:30-3:30." 

"Ah," He nods, then considers. "Would you be willing to extend those office hours for a former student looking to speak to you?"

Her eyes twinkle. "I think I could do that."

Aaron grins as she leaves. He turns on his heel, heading office campus to the vegan sandwich shop she favours. He arrives at her office at 3:30 on the dot, a roasted quinoa sandwich and small cup of soup in his hands. "Theo?"

She grabs him by the tie, pulling him into the office. Aaron has just enough sense to kick the door shut, giving them some semblance of privacy, before her mouth is on his."Finally." It's almost a growl. "I have been waiting _all day_ to get you alone."

"Theo," Aaron pants and she starts disrobing him. " _Theo_." He seems incapable of saying any more than her name. It doesn't matter. He doesn't want to say anything else.

It's moments like these when all the secrets are worth it. She feels like a drug - he needs her now. Wants her like a junkie, a puppy who will follow her to the ends of the earth for just a smile in return. 

She's upended everything he's ever know, everything he's ever though he wanted. But it's still not easy.

"When are you going to get a girlfriend?" Alex asks one day, wrinkling his nose. "You're not still mooning over Angelica, are you?"

"No!" God, he wants to forget that ill fated flirtation as much as possible.

"Then what?"

"Has it crossed you mind," Aaron said stiffly, "That perhaps I want to focus on my career and not my love life? That I may be too busy to date?"

"No," Alex said simply.

Aaron let out a small sound of frustration. Of course not. "I'm just not interested in dating anyone right now, okay?"

"Alright." There is a moment of silence, and Aaron has just enough time to send up a little prayer of thanks when Alex opens his mouth and says "Are you sure you don't want to try a boyfriend, coming out at this point in your life is very common-"

" _Alexander._ "

"Fine! I was just asking."

 

**5\. Face his fears**

March 8th. The date is circled on his calendar. Spring break, where most of the population of Columbia will be setting off to party like there's no tomorrow.

It also happens to be the day Jacques is coming home to visit Theodosia.

"I'm breaking up with him," she'd said a few weeks ago, as they lay in the afterglow of the sex they'd just enjoyed,"but I can't do it over the phone like a coward."

Aaron's heart thumps at the words. But he knows it would be awful if he was anything other than fully sympathetic. "It's going to be hard."

"It is," she sighs. "But you know what? This was a long time coming. I loved him once, that's true, but..." she shakes her head.

He's never pried into her relationship with Jacques. Never asked, never _wanted_ to ask. But he's not an idiot. He knows it's not going well. He knows Jacques rarely calls her anymore, that when he does call they fight. 

He doesn't ask what her breaking up with Jacques will mean for them. Now is not the time. Instead he wraps both arms around her and kisses her shoulder, trying to convey without words that he's here for her.

The only problem is, he doesn't ask about it the next morning. Or the morning after. In fact, he is somehow able to go the entire month without asking Theodosia if she plans to keep seeing him after she breaks up with her fiance. 

The morning of March 8th he wakes up like any other morning. Sends a _good morning_ text to Theodosia, makes coffee, reads a book. His phone buzzes midway through breakfast.

_At the airport. Will text you later._

That sets his heart racing as he replies _good luck_. He almost writes _I love you_ , but can’t quite bring himself to. She doesn't reply. 

All day he checks his phone. Meeting Laurens and Mulligan for lunch? His phone is on the table. Writing an essay in the afternoon? Phone is beside him, making him jump every time Alex sends him a text. It's some kind of purgatory, the waiting, and if it goes on much longer he's going to scream.

Finally, in the evening, she texts him. _I did it. It's over._

He texts back _Are you ok?_

 _He's staying at a hotel._ Not ok then.

_I'm sorry_

_Aaron... come over?_

He's out the door before he can think twice about it. Practically runs to her house, jacket flapping in the wind. When he opens the door she’s crying. “Oh Theodosia…”

He wraps her in his arms, murmuring nonsense as she sobs. The ring is sitting on the coffee table before them. 

“It’s over,” he says, mindlessly kissing her hair. “It’s ok,” and then, because he has to, he says, “I love you.” 

The sobbing stops.

“I’m sorry,” he says quickly. “I’m sorry, this is such a bad time, it was a stupid thing to say of course-” He stops. Collects himself. “I love you. I have always loved you. I want to be with you for real, to actually date and be monogamous and-” he’s cut off by Theodosia’s lips crashing into his own. 

They kiss fiercely for a moment, only for Theodosia to pull back and pant out, “damn better. I broke up with him for this.”

“For this?” Aaron is almost afraid to ask.

“Well no,” she waves the thought away. “For me, because that relationship was going nowhere, but also for this. To have a chance at something real.”

And she drags him in for another kiss to seal the deal. 

 

**6\. Take her last name**

He proposes right after graduation. She's rolling her eyes as he drags her down to the wharf instead of to a party, but she does follow him. "It's my favourite place in the world," he tells her, and she smiles. "I used to come here with my parents, as a kid. I don't remember a ton of it, but I've seen the pictures." Himself, two or three, singling in the arms of two people who might have been strangers for all Aaron recognizes their faces. 

"It's beautiful," Theodosia agrees, starting out over the water.

"Not as beautiful as you."

She raises an eyebrow, then gives him a thumbs down. "Nope. Try again."

He's grinning. "Theodosia, you set the stars in the sky for me. You changed my life."

She makes an _ehhh_ sort of noise. "Not bad. Try again."

The grin is going to split his face. "Theodosia, will you marry me?"

"What?" A hand flies to her mouth. She lets out another sound of surprise as Aaron drops smoothly to one knee, pulling out a ring box. "You're not serious."

"I am." He opens it. A rutilated quartz, all shot through with streaks of light, salvaged after months of thrift store searching. It's set with blue topaz, and every time Aaron looks at it he can't help but think of the stars in the sky. He'd always known she'd never want something traditional, or that could be bought from a store. "I am one hundred, one _thousand_ percent serious. Will you be my wife?"

" _Yes._ "

She hauls him to his feet for a bruising kiss. When they pull back, he's chagrined to realize that people are applauding. It doesn't matter. "Let's go home," He says.

But it doesn't take long for worry to set in. The next morning Theodosia's tense, withdrawn. He tries to engage her again and again, only to be refused each time. Finally, she snaps, "I don't want to do this right now, okay? If we do, we're going to fight."

"Then we fight," he says, trying to stay calm. He thinks he knows what this is about. "Do you not want to marry me?" 

When she sighs, he feels his heart drop. _Well, it was nice while it lasted_.

"No, Aaron!" She reaches out, touches his face. "I love you. I want be husband and wife. But the marriage itself... it's terrifying. I don't want the big white dress, I don't want a big cake and flowers everywhere, I don't want to take your name."

"That's all?" His chest loosens, just a little. "We don't have to. We can go down to the courthouse tomorrow, if you want. We can elope. And I never wanted you to take my name. If fact," he says as the idea occurs to him, "How about I take yours?"

"What?" She laughs, then stops when she realizes he's serious. "Wait, really?"

"Why not? We've both taken intro to feminism. Why _can't_ we be the Prevosts?" Alex will laugh at him, but he doesn't care. He'll be married to the woman he loves, and she won't feel any uncertainty about the wedding.

"Because..." She shook her head, then laughed in spite of herself. "Because stupid patriarchal reasons. Do you mean it? You want to take my name?"

"Theodosia," Aaron said solemnly, "I cannot wait to me Mr. Prevost."

 

**7\. Play the Imperial March at their wedding**

They talk about the wedding on and off for several months. What they want, what they dreamed of, what they're willing to compromise on.

Marriage, to Aaron, has always been an event. Three hundred people, a towering cake, months of appointments to different vendors. Cream and gold invitations that say _You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of..._

Theodosia dreamed of no wedding at all. A trip to the courthouse in ripped up jeans, signing a paper with witnesses dragged off the street, and going home to get drunk. Apparently, it's one of the things she and Jacques fought most about.

Aaron won't make her do anything she doesn't want to. He says that again and again. This wedding will be a good experience for both of them, dammit, or he will chuck the ring in the Hudson.

She offers, one night, to wear a white dress. 

Aaron pauses, pasta halfway to his lips. "You don't-"

"Have to, I know." She says ruefully. "I do think they're a ridiculous symbol of the over-commercialization of love. But they're not unbearable. And I want this to be a good experience for you too." She leans over to purr in his ear, "I thoroughly intend for you to get married only once, so you'd better make it count."

God he loves her.

The wedding is simple, in the end. Close friends and family only. His grandparent are there, right beside his sister. Alex is his best man, Herc, Laurens and Lafayette his groomsen. 

(They had insisted on silly groom pictures of them all ripping open their shirts to reveal superhero insignia. They had also insisted he be Batman, which Aaron thought was a little unfair.)

They have it at Aaron's church. No decorations, but flowers for each of Theodosia's bridesmaids - his sister Sally, the Schuyler Sisters, and Dolley Madison.

"Should we check on her?" Alex jokes from his place up near the front. "Make sure she's not done a runaway bride?"

"She wouldn't run out on Aaron," Dolley shoots back from across the aisle.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," The priest intones. "It's time." The music begins to play, and out stepped his Theodosia in a breezy white dress. It was simple, unadorned, probably intended for a casual beach wedding. She looked absolutely breathtaking in it.

The only thing that was missing from her serene expression was a smile.

Aaron turned, nodded at Laurens who reached back and pressed a button.

The music changed, the wedding marched replaced by Darth Vader's Imperial March.

Theodosia stops dead, looking panicked for a second, until her eyes meet Aaron's. _Surprise_ , he mouths at her. And her face breaks into a real, joyful, delightful smile. She picks up the skirt of her dress and starts sashaying down the aisle, to the cheers of all assembled. 

_I love you,_ She mouths as she reaches him. Because he's made sure their wedding wasn't too serious, wasn't too heavy, didn't push her too far past her comfort zone.

 _Love you more_ , he mouths back. Because she is worth it, every time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the love between two people…"

 

**8\. Sleep in**

Theodosia's changed his life in so many ways. He is brighter with her, more brilliant, spurred on by her challenges and her teasing to greater insight. She pushes him to break out of his mold, to do something new solely for the sake of not getting bogged down in the mundane.

She also slows him. Forces him to stop and consider.

When he wakes on the Saturday morning, she's quick to cover his eyes with her hand. "Shhh. Go back to sleep."

"What time is it?" Morning, surely, he can see the sun through their gauzy curtains. 

"None of your business, go back to bed." Her voice is thick with sleep.

"Theo..." A morning person, his wife is not. In Theodosia's preferred world, she stumbles downstairs at ten in the morning while hollering for coffee. It's both ridiculous and adorable. Aaron, meanwhile, prefers to wake up at six am on the dot.

Aaron twists in the bed, trying to get a look at the clock. The side table is conspicuously bare. "Theodosia, did you hide the clock?" He can't help but be amused.

"Yes," She grouses. "Sleep in for once in your life. It's saturday, we have nothing planned, I'm _right here_ ," She shifts on the bed, useful to draw attention to her body. Especially because his wife prefers to sleep in the nude. 

"Alright," He says, unable to keep the smile out of his voice. "If that's what the light of my life wants..."

"The light of your life wants you to take _off_ those ridiculous pajamas-"

"They are comfortable and classy, not ridiculous-" What was wrong with burgundy silk? 

"Take. Them. Off." She opens one eye, fixing him with a look. "They're gonna get in the way."

 

**9\. Play nice with Hamilton**

"Aaron!" Theodosia calls him from the kitchen.

"In a minute," Aaron mumbles, too quiet for her to hear. He's trying to get through this law brief that Hamilton sent him, one he swears is ten times longer than it needs to be. How many pages does it take to say 'it's not libel if it's true'? 

"Aaron Prevost!" Theodoisa marches in, a phone in her hand.

"Yes, darling?" He asks dryly. 

"Do you have plans for tonight?"

"Just this," he waves at the papers.

Theodosia turns back to her cell. "That will be lovely then, we'll see you both at 8."

"What was all that?" Aaron asks her as she comes to sit beside him and picks up a page of his brief. "I swear to god, Hamilton is trying to bury me in paperwork. What is the _point_ of all of this?"

"You can ask him tonight," Theodosia says with a smile. "He and Eliza are coming over for dinner, and bringing Philip."

"You invited the Hamiltons over?!" Couldn't it be _any_ of her other friends? He likes both Dolley and her husband James. John Church is a bit of a bore, but Angelica is witty enough for both of them. Did she have to invite Eliza and her tornado of a husband? "I see enough of them at the office, Theodosia, I don't really want-"

"It's good for you," Theodosia protests. "And I haven't seen them in ages. And Philip is the same age as our Little Theo, so they can entertain each other while the adults talk."

"That's just what we need," Aaron groans. "Our kids will become friends and we'll never get rid of them. What if they get married? What if Hamilton and I are in-laws?"

"It's a little early to be planning your daughter's wedding, she's only four." Theodosia kisses the top of his head. "Speaking of, it's your turn to get her from enrichment-preschool. Unless you want to be the one to cook dinner?"

Neither of them are very good at cooking, but Theodosia is definitely better. "No, you cook dinner. I will make nice with the ladies at the fancy preschool." He stands, dropping the pages into a pile. He can go back to the typeface and headaches later.

"Good. And Aaron?" He looks back to meet her suddenly-anxious gaze. "Do try to play nice with Hamilton? Brawling husbands is not a good example to set for our daughter."

Aaron flushes. That was _once_.

He picks Little Theo up without a problem, and spends the afternoon with her while Theodosia Sr bustles around in the kitchen. His daughter is a wonder to him - even after all of the hours he's spent caring for her, learning about her world, every day seems to bring some new kind of surprise.

Today, it's reading. Theo has little flashcards with simple words on them, and when he pulls out one she shouts "Bee!" or "Cat!" and makes the accompanying noise. He spends a full hour just playing flashcards with her, and then there's a knock at the door and Theodosia's calling "They're here!"

The first thing he notices is that Alexander hasn't even bothered to change out of his work clothes. He's in a rumpled dress shirt and loosened tie, hair escaping the bun he somehow thinks is acceptable in a workplace. "Nice to see you again, Alexander." Aaron says with formality.

Alexander throws his arms around Aaron's neck. "Burr! You take so many days off I feel like I barely see you! How's working from home?"

"It’s fine." Aaron says, trying his best to disentangle from the hug. It’s no use; Alex gives him one last squeeze and lets go of his own violation, moving on to kiss Theodosia on both cheeks.

“Mr Prevost, it’s been too long.” Eliza holds baby Philip in her arms. Aaron gives them both a friendly smile. “How are the Theodosias?”

“They’re fine. We’re working through everything together.” _Everything_ being the mysterious pains that were keeping Theodosia awake all night. “And Little Theo is just through here.” He leads the pair into Theo’s playroom, privately wondering if he can just stay with Eliza and Philip all night.

No such luck. “Darling!” Alexander calls from the doorway, bounding in to press a kiss to his wife’ head. “And Mr. Burr, sir.”

“Mr. Prevost,” Aaron corrects, like he always does.

It makes Alexander pout. “Mr. Prevost doesn’t rhyme though.”

“You’re ridiculous.” _Play nice with Hamilton, play nice with Hamilton, play nice with Hamilton…_

“Yep.” He sticks his tongue out at Theo, who giggles. “Now, while I have your attention I wanted to ask your opinions on the new bill that congress is voting on next week, I’ve organized a writing campaign…”

“I think I’ll go see if Theodosia needs any help with dinner,” Eliza murmurs. “Aaron, you’re good?”

 _Play nice with Hamilton._ Of all the things she’s asked of him, they may be the worst. But he forces a smile onto his face and says, “Yes, absolutely.” and lets Alexander blather on.

 

**10\. Fight for her**

Theodosia is sick. Theodosia is very sick. 

Aaron sits in the waiting room of the hospital, not even pretending to read the newspaper. It doesn't matter, all that matters is the fact that soon a doctor will walk through those doors and tell him the results of the latest round of X-rays.

He swears he could hear a pin drop.

Everything had been going so well. Their life, their works - he had just been promoted to district attorney for God's sake. And now, like some cosmic retribution, Theodosia had begun having pains in her abdomen. 

"Mr. Prevost?" A voice called, and Aaron had to shake his head to clear it.

"I'm here." He moves to stand, but the doctor waves him back down.

"No, sit, please. I don't think this will be any easier to hear standing."

And suddenly, Aaron knows she's going to die. The doctor pulls out X-rays and begins to talk, pointing out various things Aaron can not, _will not_ , understand. The cancer is very aggressive. The cancer is not responding to treatment. The cancer is spreading.

"No," Aaron says, cutting the doctor off. "No."

"Pardon?"

"This-" he waves a hand at the X-rays. "Tell me how to fix it. Please. There must be something we can do." He sees the doctor hesitate. "Please," Aaron adds. "Let me bring my wife home to our daughter."

"There is a treatment," the doctor says slowly. "But it's experimental. And very costly."

"I'll do it." Whatever it takes. "Tell me more."

Its another half hour - a bleak, difficult half hour - before Aaron goes in to see his wife. Theodosia lies propped up on the cushions, a look of pain on her face. "Aaron."

He takes her hand, tries to smile. "Hey baby."

"The doctors said they didn't get it all."

"I know. They're going to have to try something else."

"Is there anything else to try?"

"There is." He squeezes her hand. "And we're going to do it. We're going to do as many things as we need to bring you home to our daughter."

And she smiles. It's bracing, tempered by pain but full of love. "I love you Aaron."

"I love you, Theodosia."

He sits with her a while, then goes to pick their daughter up from the Hamilton's. To his disappointment, she and Philip are well on the way to becoming friends. While she does her homework on the kitchen table, he closes himself in the den to make a few hard phone calls. There's one to his uncle, to inquire about the blind trust set up for him when his parents died. All these years he's never touched it, it should be sizable. Once that's hashed out he calls his sister, asking for a loan to cover the rest and when that is still not enough to meet the astronomical fees the doctors quoted he remortgages the house. The only thing he doesn't touch are the funds for his daughter.

Theodosia is flown to Switzerland, where she's put on a regimen of drugs and surgeries. Aaron - who has flown out to stay with her - can hardly keep up. There are discussions of stem cells, of ‘restructuring', of 'best options'. It doesn't matter. All that matter is this:

It's a success.

Theodosia steps out of the hospital in Switzerland on her own feet two months later. Her body is ravaged, scarred, but entirely her own again. Her smile is fierce and wild in the bright sun.

They stand for a moment, facing the street, looking at the enormity of what they've accomplished. 

"So?" Theodosia asks him. "Are you taking me skiing while we're here or what?"

 

**11\. Remind her just how sexy she is**

The surgeries are all a success, and everyone is grateful. But that doesn't mean things go back to normal. Theodosia is in outpatient treatment three days a week at the local hospital. She's also lost her job - the company points out, reasonably, that they had to fill her position when they'd been told she was dying. It's a lot to rebuild.

It's more than that though. His wife is a little more anxious now, a little more insecure. One night, she growls in frustration, "I don't know why you don't leave me. Look at what we've gone through. For this?" and gestures down at her body, to all the scars from the surgeries. One breast is gone, sacrificed when the cancer started to spread.

"For this," Aaron maintained. "Yes. Always."

"It seems if you paid so much money for it, I should get a body that actually looks like it's supposed to." 

The bitterness in her voice breaks his heard. "It does work like it's supposed to." She rolls her eyes. "Yes! It holds Theodosia Prevost, the love of my life. It holds her wonderful mind," he kisses the top of her head, "her unconquerable spirit," A kiss to her neck, "her wonderful heart." a kiss on her chest, right across the scar. "this body has fought battles. It's beautiful."

"I don't know why you always have to say the right things," She complains, as he kisses steadily lower. "It's going to make me love you or something."

"I know," Aaron grins, "that's the idea." And he dives back down to kiss every part of the body he loves.

 

**12\. Slowdance at his daughter's wedding**

"Is it too late to retract my blessing?" Aaron asks dryly. 

"Yes." Theodosia tells him. "Go and get her shoes."

The room is a disaster - hair products and sashes and gift boxes everywhere. Still, he roots around until he finds the satin slippers under a crumple of crepe paper. "Here. Is it too late to go back in time and prevent them from meeting in the first place?"

"Dad!" Theo exclaims as she takes the shoes. "Please be nice today. Philip is a good man, you know that."

Aaron raises an eyebrow. "He got into a fight with Eaker in a Denny's parking lot."

"That was to defend his dad!"

"Yes, because his dad can't get into his own parking lot brawls?" This is not a point in the boy's favour, in Aaron's view.

"I don't know about parking lots, but I seem to remember _someone_ getting into a brawl at an office Christmas party," Theodosia comments. 

Theo giggled. "You didn't!"

Aaron sighed. "That. Was. _Once._ It is not reflective of my character! Meanwhile, Hamilton seems to fight any person who so much as _looks_ at him sideways-"

"You did call his mom a whore, dear," Theodosia points out. "Now. is everything ready? Old, new, borrowed, blue?"

"Check check check check." 

“Then we will release you to your bridesmaids.” They each kiss her on the cheek, their little girl all grown up.

Aaron cries during the ceremony, which surprises no one. Theodosia cries too, which surprises only those who don’t know her well. Theo and Philip look radiant as they kiss to seal their union. Then it’s out into the garden for the reception.

He creeps up on her while she’s drinking punch. “May I have this dance?”

“Aaron!” She mimes throwing punch in his face. “You scared me.” 

“May I?” He holds out a hand to her. He’s already done the father-daughter dance, the music’s changed to something a lot faster and more lively. Everyone’s getting down on the dance floor.

Theodosia’s not one to go with the flow, however. She leads him into an elegant waltz, on the grass to one side of the floor. They’ve done this so many times since that first dance; now the movements are automatic and fluid. She twirls him easily, and on the downbeat he switches the lead. 

Aaron can’t help but smile at her fondly. His Theodosia, who’s been worth every second of every hardship. “I love you, you know.”

And, contrary to the last, she smiles right back. “I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> help this got long  
> lowkey planning to do a sequel of things Theodosia's done for Aaron? But that will take a bit of time.  
> For now, I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Usual spiel - tumblr is [link text](url) and this is your official invitation for everyone to show up and start randomly messaging me about Hamilton. Or kudo/comment to make my day. (Or, if y'all want, suggest things for the sequel)


End file.
